I pride myself in knowing my way around a scatter gun. My wife and I set out to pattern her gun in preparation of a hunt next Friday. Full choke Beretta Pintail. 2 3\4 #4 pellet. Main concentration of pellets 1 foot low and 1 foot left of the dot on target. Same thing with 2 3\4 #6 pellet. I shoot it and hammer the paper. She was not moving, had a good rest and not yanking the trigger.

Changed to modified #6 pellet and she is nailing the target every time. We are going with the 2 3\4 #6. I would rather have 20 #6 pellets in the head and neck than 1 or 2 #4 pellets.

I just don't get how I can shoot it and it be fine. She shoots it and it is off. Change the chokes and we are both in target.

No idea why the full is hitting a different location for her but agree I would much rather have a load of #6 shot hitting the neck and head than a few #4 shot.

A study done on energy required for breaking a turkey neck found with one lead shot pellet size and yards the shot had enough energy is #4 60 yards#5 50 yards#6 40 yards

I would rather have more shot in the pattern with the smaller shot than fewer shot in the pattern.

The heavy shot changes things with shot size if you want to spend the extra $ for it and get more shot in the pattern. I know #6 heavy shot will hammer a turkey at 55 yards and #7 shot is good to at least 40 yards. Those shot usually pattern tighter than lead making for very effective turkey loads.

Kmon1 that is some excellent information. I told her we would probably build her a Mossberg Turkey gun and she said "Really, Mossberg?" Then proceeded to tell me to sell her Beretta and buy her a Benelli. Then my buddy told her "Oh yeah, you need a Benelli". The whole time I see dollar signs flying out the window.

I won't let her shoot outside the 30 yard mark. I think the #6 will flatten a bird. I will also check into the heavy #7. It lends me to believe we can go with IC, open the pattern a little more for her and still have a very effective Turkey killer combination within 30 yards.

Put to other choke back in and don't tell her. Then say you want to try again before you leave to "make sure". With the confidence she has after the last "nailing it", she may do fine.

I am going to try this as well. I don't suspect she is yanking the trigger. I watched really closely and didn't see it. I think it has more to do with my strength holding the forestock of the weapon vs her lack of it.

1. Check to see if she is shooting with her dominant eye. That can throw her shots off.

2. Check to see if she is jerking the trigger. That can cause [font:Arial][/font]your shot to be left or right of target. Place a penny on the barrel and dry fire. Try to squeeze the trigger without the penny falling off.

3. Shooting up or down of target is often due to breath control. Breathe in, breathe out, squeeze the trigger.

2 and 3 are for shooting rifles but shooting a turkey is more of a rifle shot than a shotgun.

get a few low brass # 8's and let her shoot see what the pattern does with the low recoil.I really like the Winchester Long Beard shot gun shells, one hell of a dense pattern.for a Beretta 12 gauge #6 shot- 655 choke, #5 660 ,#4 665. hope this helps. Forrest